Yogi Adityanath traded barbs at Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal for handling the clash of Muharram and Durga Puja last year by holding idol immersion for a day for Muharram procession on October 1.

New Delhi: In a strong-worded statement, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday remarked how he had refused to change the time of Durga Puja in UP when it was clashing with Muharram procession last year.

Adityanath evoked the matter when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in October 2018 had disallowed Durga idol immersion for a day in order to oversee Muharram procession take place peacefully.

The Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government had said that no idol immersions will be allowed on October 1 as Muharram also falls on the same day. (On Muharram, considered a day of bereavement, Muslims observe voluntary fast, generously donate to charity and pray to remember Hussain.)

It had maintained that the 10th and the last day of Durga Puja festival will fall on September 30, therefore immersions can begin in the evening and then after a gap of 24 hours.

Firing over this move, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister addressing a rally in West Bengal’s Barasat on Wednesday said, “In whole country, Durga puja and Muharram fell on same day, in UP officers asked me, should we change the timing of puja? I said the timing of the puja won’t be changed if you want to change the timing, change the timing of Muharram procession.”

Reportedly, the CM also added that he had warned of any violence in Uttar Pradesh on the day of Muharram and avowed to the public, “I also said that during the Muharram procession if there is any violence, then it will be your last procession.”

Adityanath’s fiery comments come in wake of the violence that broke out during BJP national president Amit Shah rally in the streets of Kolkata. A clash broke out between the members of Trinamool Congress students’ union and BJP activists, participating in Shah’s rally, outside the Calcutta University campus and Vidyasagar College. Three bikes were set ablaze and a few people from both sides sustained injuries.